Even for the rest of us, who don’t suffer a clinical level of anxiety, the public bathroom is a place that has ingrained behaviors and social rituals—leaving space at the urinals, avoiding conversation even with people you know—that we’ve all experienced, if not daily at an office, than out in the world, at restaurants and ball parks and airports.

Not all protagonists are good, likeable, or safe people. What I enjoyed the most about Alphabet was how little care was taken to soften Simon’s horrendous past. There are good reasons why he turned out to be such a violent, callous adult, but in no way does the author use them to excuse his crimes.

The book starts out with him finally learning how to read and write in prison. What he does with this newfound knowledge kept me on my toes until the final scene.